Sullivan Girls State Delegates Accept Leadership Posts

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Photo by Ellen Ferrera
Sullivan High School students Adalee Nichols(l) and Miriah Booker recently attended Girls State at EIU.

•July 3, 2019•
By Ellen Ferrera
for the News Progress

Adalee Nichols was elected a National Party Leader and Miriah Booker was elected State Sheriff at the weeklong Girls State convention at Eastern Illinois University.
For Nichols, it was the highest office anyone from Sullivan has achieved at Girls State.
“Each year we select and sponsor two girls who have just completed their junior year in high school to attend,” Melanie Byers of the American Legion Auxiliary said. “We look at their grades, their interest in politics and recommendations from their teachers.”
The American Legion Auxiliary Illini Girls State (ALAIGS) is a program of the American Legion Auxiliary which is the largest women’s patriotic organization in the world.
Illini Girls State was first presented in 1957 and is one of the most respected and coveted experimental learning programs presented in the U.S. The goal is to develop young women as future leaders and is grounded in patriotism and Americanism. Read More

Public Input Sought on Titus Property’s Future Plans

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•July 3, 2019•

Titus Manor personal property auction is 9 a.m. Saturday, July 13 at the Sullivan American Legion. Following that Sullivan City Council will determine the fate of the Titus Home at Wyman Park and some 920 acres of farmland adjacent to the city limits on the north.
In June city administrator Dan Flannell met with Busey Bank, trustees of the Titus property, requesting the home and property to be directly signed over to the city. What happens after that is yet to be determined.
“Something as large as this requires the public to express their views,” Mayor Richard Glazebrook said. “As a council we want to do what is best for the city, not just today but 50 years down the road.”
Glazebrook encourages anyone with an idea on how to best use the Titus Manor to write city hall. Read More

Knee High

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Photo by R.R. Best
Knee High
There is corn well above knee high on the Fourth of July in Moultrie County as three year old Oakley Denton shows us. Oakley’s patriotic stand is in a field of corn owned by Brian Crawford just west of Sullivan. Crawford was able to get this crop in by the end of May.

Booths Trial set for October

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•July 3, 2019•
Alvan Booths, 32, of Mattoon appeared in Moultrie County Circuit Court for a hearing on motions in limine before the Honorable Judge Hugh Finson.
State’s Attorney Tracy Weaver and Booth’s public defender Marvin Hanson agreed to 9:30 a.m. September 24 for a hearing on limine motions. The motions set limits on the amount of information allowed to be introduced at the trial. Read More

Early Morning Fire Destroys Lovington House

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Photo by R. R. Best
Firefighters from Sullivan and Arthur assisted the Lovington Fire District in fighting the fire at the corner of East State and North High in Lovington.

•July 3, 2019•

A 5:00 a.m. fire at the corner of East State and North High streets destroyed an unoccupied home in Lovington Thursday.
Assistant chief Bill Harlin said the two story frame home was totally engulfed when Lovington firefighters arrived at 5:06 a.m.
“I called Sullivan and Arthur for mutual aide,” Harlin said.
Sullivan was there with a water tanker by 5:15 and Arthur at 5:20. Read More

Places at Pork Expo

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Places at Pork Expo
Mallory Batman of Sullivan won her class and was third overall in spot gilt at the World Pork Expo in Des Moines, Iowa. Hosted by NPPC since 1987, World Pork Expo is the world’s largest pork industry-specific trade show in the world. It brings together pork producers and other industry professionals from around the world for three days of education, innovation and networking

Bethany Village Board Approves Liquor Changes

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•June 26, 2019•
The Bethany Village Board approved an additional Class E liquor license at the regular June meeting.
That allows for the sale of beer, wine and spirits by the drink for consumption on the premises (bar license). The total count for Class E licenses is two, allowing the village to approve a previous request from the Bethany American Legion. Read More

A Century of Fourth of July Celebrations

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Cool rides are in store for Sullivan kids when Conner Family Amusements opens the Fourth of July Celebration from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Wednesday, July 3 through Sunday, July 7 (1:00 - 5:00 p.m.).

•June 26, 2019•
A century of Sullivan fireworks is celebrated during the July 3-7 Fourth of July celebration.
American Legion Post 68 continues its 100 year tradition with Central States Fireworks of Athens unloading $17,000 in fireworks into the July 4th sky above Wyman Park in Sullivan on July 4.
That is the finale to a celebration that begins with the arrival of Conner Amusements carnival from Beardstown on July 3.
At high noon July 4th the celebration parade kicks off thanks to coordination by Justin “Bubba” Farris and his crew of Legion, Sons of American Legion and Auxiliary volunteers. Terry Warren will prepare lunch for parade participants (more than 350 were served last year).
At 2 p.m. the watermelon eating contest, sack races and turtle races occur. Read More

Fourth of July Crackdown by SPD on Impaired Drivers

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•June 26, 2019•
Sullivan Police Department announced plans for July Fourth traffic enforcement with a focus on impaired and unbuckled drivers.
The safety campaign will run from June 17 through July 8 to encompass three summer weekends leading up to and after Independence Day.
“We’re asking all of our residents and visitors to celebrate Independence Day safely,” said Chief Andrew Pistorius. “It’s simple: If you’re driving, don’t drink or use drugs. Our officers will be out in full force to keep impaired drivers off the road.”
Sullivan Police Department will join the Illinois State Police and more than 160 local police and sheriff’s departments for the increased statewide enforcement effort. Read More

ALAH School Board Presented Random Drug Testing Proposal

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Supt. Schwengel’s Last Meeting

•June 26, 2019•
By Ariana Cherry
for the News Progress

At the last board meeting the Arthur Lovington Atwood Hammond school board looked into changes to the student handbook which included drug testing, student parking and use of electronic devices.
The ALAH School Board held a hearing for the FY 2019 amended budget after it had been available to the public for the past 30 days. A few minor adjustments were made to supplies and expenditures as well as transferring money from the education department to transportation.
Superintendent Kenny Schwengel commented that funding for transportation may come in after July. After the hearing, board members voted on the budget and passed it for approval.
Schwengel informed the board that the district’s current balance is $4,525,647.87 and that the funds were in pretty good shape.
High school principal Steffanie Seegmiller discussed some of the changes to the high school student handbook. Starting in the 2019-2020 school year, students will be required to register their car and pay for a $2.00 parking tag. They also increased parking spaces for faculty and reserved parking space for visitors. Read More